Timeline Watch
1941

Abercrombie & Fitch Chronograph

Japanese surprise attack on U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor brings U.S. into World War II; U.S. and Britain declare war on Japan.

Abercrombie & Fitch Two Register Chronograph, from 1941

Abercrombie & Fitch Chronograph Steel. Featuring a manually-winding Landeron chronograph movement, twin intersecting subsidiary dials, printed telemeter scale, and gorgeous blued steel hands, this timepiece is easily one of our proudest finds to date.

For those of you who have been around awhile (or are at least well educated on all things old-school), you know that Abercrombie & Fitch wasn’t always the trendy, bare-chested, short-shorts hocking, teeny-bopper fashion brand that they are today. Once upon a time, the brand was a true outfitter for the serious outdoorsmen, offering everything from mosquito netting to elephant guns in their stores – serious provisions for your safari into the dark heart of Africa.

We remember hearing stories of our grandfathers’ visits to their flagship store on Fifth Avenue, being greeted by giant taxidermied elephants at the entrance, instead of a mouthful of over-bearing perfume and a crowd of tourists excited to buy this season’s disposable fashion trend at exorbitant prices. While many modern brands have gone to great lengths to honor their history and heritage, Abercrombie has given theirs the finger and run away in the opposite direction. This is a real shame and makes finding vintage A&F products all the more desirable.

Vintage timepieces signed by Abercrombie & Fitch aren’t all that unusual and often command a fair premium over unsigned versions (think Heuer Carrera & Seafarer models). However, finding an all-original timepiece manufactured for and triple-signed by A&F Co is an entirely different story.

Submitted by Analog Shift.